Centipedegrass – Lawn Care

These suggested management practices will help you care for your lawn throughout the year. Location, terrain, soil type and condition, age of the lawn, previous lawn care, and other factors affect turf performance, so adjust these practices to suit your lawn.

March Through May

Mowing Mow grass to 1 inch. Do not let grass get taller than 1 ½ inches. NEVER burn off centipedegrass to remove excess debris or rejuvenate your lawn. This could damage your centipede lawn.

Fertilization DO NOT apply nitrogen at this time. Yellow appearance may indicate an iron deficiency. Apply Ironite or Fertilome Liquid Iron as needed following label directions. Grass should green up within 24 hours.

Watering Actively growing centipedegrass needs 1 inch of water per week. If rainfall is insufficient, you will need to water. Sandy soils often require ½ inch of water every third day if rainfall is insufficient. Proper watering helps prevent or reduce problems later in the summer. Over watering can cause disease problems in your centipede lawn.

Weed Control You can still apply preemergence herbicides such as Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper to control crabgrass, goosegrass, foxtail, and other weeds in March. Apply postemergence herbicides such as Fertilome Weed-out or Weed Free Zone, Hi-Yield Atrazine, or Image to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like knotweed, spurge, and lespedeza. Do not apply postemergence herbicides until 3 weeks after greenup. Centipedegrass is sensitive to certain herbicides (for example 2,4-D), so follow label directions carefully and use with caution. Hi-Yield Grass Killer can also be used to control grassy weeds in centipedegrass.

Insect Control Check for and control any white grubs with Hi-Yield Grub Free Zone or Sevin Lawn Insect Granules. Milky Spore can also be used for long term control. To control ants, fleas, ticks, chinch bugs, and other insects use Hi-Yield Turf Ranger or Hi-Yield Bug Blaster.

Thatch Removal Power rake (vertical mow) to remove thatch ( the layer of undecomposed grass) in late May if it is thicker than ½ inch. A 2 or 3 inch blade set ¼ inch deep in one direction works best. A power rake with a 1 inch blade spacing may severely damage the lawn.

Renovation Replant bare areas in May using seed ( ¼ to ½ pound per 1,000 square feet) or sprigs ( ¾ bushel per 1,000 square feet). It’s easier to spread seed if you mix 1 to 2 gallons of play sand or builders sand per 1,000 square feet to be covered. Seeds germinate in 28 days, but establishment is slow. To keep seedbed continually moist, lightly water several times a day for 28 days. It takes up to 3 years to establish a new lawn.

June Through August

Mowing Follow March through May guidelines.

Fertilization Fertilize with ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in June. Use Fertilome 15-0-15 if soil test reveals you need phosphorus. On the coast, a second fertilization in August may help. If weeds are a problem you may want to use Fertilome Weed & Feed. Natural Guard Soil Activator can be used year round to help decompose grass clippings and make your soil more fertile by holding on to nutrients. Yellow appearance may indicate an iron deficiency. Apply Ironite or Fertilome Liquid Iron as needed following label directions. Grass should green up within 24 hours. Do not apply lime unless soil test recommends you do so. Soil pH should be between 5.0 and 5.5 for centipede lawns.

Watering Your lawn needs 1 inch of water every week. If you do not get enough rain, you will need to water. Sandy soils often require ½ inch of water every third day.

Weed Control Apply postemergence herbicides such as Fertilome Weed-out or Weed Free Zone, Hi-Yield Atrazine, or Image to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like knotweed, spurge, and lespedeza. Centipedegrass is sensitive to certain herbicides (for example 2,4-D , MSMA), so follow label directions carefully and use with caution. Hi-Yield Grass Killer can also be used to control grassy weeds in centipedegrass. Do not apply herbicides unless grass and weeds are actively growing and lawn is not suffering from drought stress.

Insect Control Check for and control any white grubs with Hi-Yield Grub Free Zone or Sevin Lawn Insect Granules. Milky Spore can also be used for long term control. If you suspect nematode damage, ask us about soil testing for nematodes. To control ants, fleas, ticks, chinch bugs, and other insects use Hi-Yield Turf Ranger or Hi-Yield Bug Blaster.

Disease Control Applying too much nitrogen, excess thatch, overwatering, or watering late in the evening can cause diseases such as Brown Patch in centipede lawns. For disease problems use Fertilome F-Stop Lawn Fungicide granules, Hi-Yield Fungicide Granules, or Fertilome Lawn & Garden Fungicide liquid. Dead areas may need to be replanted.

September Through November

Mowing Continue mowing your lawn to 1 inch before it gets taller than 1½ inches. Raise the mowing height to 1½ inches several weeks before the first expected hard frost, normally early October in Coasal Plain.

Fertilization Fertilize with 1½ pounds of 0-0-60 per 1,000 square feet 4 – 6 weeks before the first expected frost to promote hardiness. Natural Guard Soil Activator can be used year round to help decompose grass clippings and make your soil more fertile by holding on to nutrients.

Insect Control Follow March through May guidelines. Fall is the best time to control grubs.

Watering Follow March through May guidelines until the lawn browns (goes dormant).
Then water as needed to keep soil from becoming powder dry.

December Through February

Mowing Remove lawn debris (rocks, sticks, and leaves). NEVER burn off centipedegrass to remove excess debris.

Fertilization DO NOT fertilize centipedegrass at this time. Submit a soil sample for analysis every 3 years to determine nutrient requirements. See us for details on sending off soil samples. Apply lime or sulfur ONLY if soil test recommends it.

Watering Water occasionally during dry spells.

Weed Control Apply preemergence herbicides such as Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper to control crabgrass, goosegrass, foxtail, and other weeds. Apply postemergence herbicides such as Fertilome Weed-out or Weed Free Zone, Hi-Yield Atrazine, or Image to control chickweed and henbit and other cool season annuals. Centipedegrass is sensitive to certain herbicides (for example 2,4-D), so follow label directions carefully and use with caution. Selected herbicides such as Hi-Yield Atrazine or Simazine can be applied in November or December to control annual bluegrass and several winter annual broadleaf weeds.

More About Centipedegrass

Centipedegrass is a slow growing, apple green, coarse-leafed turfgrass. It is a low-maintenance, general-purpose turf. It requires only ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, doesn’t need to be mowed frequently, and grows well in sun to moderate shade. It does not tolerate traffic, compaction, high- phosphorus soils, low-potassium soils, high pH excessive thatch, drought, or heavy shade.

Centipedegrass is susceptible to nematodes, ground pearls (an insect), and fairy ring disease. Nematode damage appears as weak areas invaded by weeds. Ground pearl damage appears as circular dead areas with weeds growing only in the center. Fairy rings appear as circular green or dead areas that continue to enlarge for several years.